Thursday, October 06, 2005

On Foreign Policy and Doing The Right Thing

The problem, I think is not that America, or the American establishment, is evil or something. The problem is the false assumption--or big lie, if you will--that is often used to underpin propaganda; the assumption that any nation's foreign policy can be based purely on the human rights or best interests of other people.

Granted that one can operate in the foreign sphere with moral principles and try to do the right thing, and one can wage war and conduct one's diplomacy in ways that are not morally repugnant; and nations have done these things on occasion, including the USA. But to say that one is running one's foreign pollicy for the benefit of others is just not logical. And I am not picking on the US--Pakistan's (the country I am a citizen of) policies in Afghanistan; India's in Sri Lanka, the list goes on, fall under the same category. And often, as was arguably the case in Afghanistan under the Soviets, the cause was just. But the means chosen, the agents and friends the US and Pakistan picked, were not the ones that, especially in hindsight, were the best people to work with in the long run. In fact, one of the most prominent ones is now on the State Department's terrrorist list. And I am not talking about Usama bin Laden, but someone that was much more central to the activities of those governments at that time.

Personally, I hold critics of this or that foreign policy whose critique is that the policy is "selfish" in nature more at fault than the people actually running them. The critique, in my humble opinion, should be that the policy is not being implemented in with the dignity and rights of human beings in mind; thus not "Why is America looking out for its oil interests?" but one of a multitude of others. For example, "Why is American making deals with the House of Saud not some nicer Arab?" or "Why did American subvert Iranian democracy and put a monster like the Shah in place?" or "Why did American support Saddam in the first place?"

2 comments:

We have seen this website today.It is interesting and informative.We will communicate again.You and your members/friends read letters in spare time by clicking the following link:- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SaghierAhmadJafri/message/1819 With best wishes. Syed Saghier Ahmad Jafri , Sabiha Saba, http://www.urdumanzil.com Tel. # 00971 50 4454036 E.mail. syedsaghier@yahoo.co.uk

I don't understand which trait of the Americans is lesser than a god's? They are always right. The know all the thruths all the time. The best of people world over support then unconditionally. The people like japanese they 'liberate' bow to them. They are omnipresent and they can protect all the good people who happen to be born among the evils. They can block your essentials when they are angry with you. They can feed you in antarctica if you are trapped. They can have nuclear bombs are nobody can even be suspected of the ability to do so. They say and people believe sooner than later, again and again & maybe forever. They take lives for peace since they think peace is when there is no challenge to them. Oh GOD America forgive me & provide me shelter from all the terrorists.

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About Me

I am a social, business, and technical communicator based in the San Francisco Bay/Silicon Valley Area and involved in communications projects both here and around the world.

My professional interests include Web 2.0 and Social Media; Business Communication, Marketing & Branding; as well as user-focused communication and product design. I have named three Silicon Valley companies (including one that was acquired and another that is a major player in its space) and consult on social media presence, business plan and other documents, media design, and the like. I am also the founder for two Wikia wikis and a recovering Wikipediholic, remaining engaged with the Wikipedia and other wikis on issues where I can make a difference.

My social engagement includes human rights, social justice, as well as social and political issues of Muslim ("Islamic") communities in the West and "at home". A particular focus is both moderate/centrist traditions and alternatives, as well as engagement with Progressive and Left movements and groups.

An involvement and work in the field of new media in activism, of course, is a by-product of my two "lives" above.

I am available to work, help, discuss, and learn by engaging in exciting projects in all the areas mentioned above.